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 The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
Rated: Not rated by the MPAA.
Runtime: 90 mins.
Director: Alan Rafkin
Writer: James Fritzell; Everett Greenbaum
Tagline: He's in the middle of a mystery. Without a Clue.
Cast: Don Knotts; Joan Staley; Dick Sargent....complete cast
Genre: Comedy/Family
Most memorable quote: They're mortar. stone and wood.
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| Reel commentary: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is good, clean lighthearted fun that's sure to entertain the entire family........full review |
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by Frank Wilkins
Hoping to capitalize on his highly successful and award winning role as the bumbling deputy Fife on TV's The Andy Griffith Show, Universal Studios subsequently cast Don Knotts in a series of comedies that were tailor-made to his own unique brand of physical humor. The first in this series was The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, in which Knotts plays a fidgety typesetter named Lester Heggs who works for the local newspaper with aspirations to become a full-blown investigative reporter and to win the heart of town sweetheart, Alma Parker (Joan Staley).
But in an extension of his Barney Fife character, Luther is perceived as the laughing-stock of the town that will never amount to anything. So naturally he jumps at an opportunity offered by his boss (Dick Sargent) to write his first byline story that he hopes will gain him respect, but more importantly, get him the girl. Problem is, his assignment involves spending the night in the old Simmons mansion on the anniversary of the murder-suicide that occurred there exactly twenty years ago. Legend has it that the spirit of the former owners haunts the house and plays the organ at exactly midnight every night. Luther has a healthy respect for the "history" of the house, but nonetheless agrees to the assignment.
Immediately upon stepping foot onto the front porch of the house, strange things begin to happen. The front door mysteriously opens and closes by itself, bizarre noises rattle in the bushes and an approaching thunderstorm sets the mood for a creepy night inside the "murder house". Don Knotts is at his funniest best as his over-the-top antics and jittery, bug-eyed gestures kick-in at full force. Even the smallest noise causes him to take karate chops in mid-air even though he doesn't know karate. An organ that plays by itself and a painting that bleeds from the throat are enough to cause Luther to flee the house and report his discoveries in a featured story for the next day's paper.
Of course Luther's story sells papers like hotcakes, making him a hero in the eyes of the townsfolk. His celebrity doesn't last long however, as a survivor of the Simmons clan takes exception to the sullying of his family's estate. Luther finds himself defending his accusations in court where the truth behind the mysterious apparitions is finally revealed.
Those who are big fans of Barney Fife, will enjoy The Ghost and Mr. Chicken for the wildly hilarious antics of Don Knotts. The film is flawed in almost all respects from a screenwriting standpoint however. Much of the film's plot is extremely formulaic and the peripheral characters don't have much to offer to the story. But that's not why we watch The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. We watch it to see Don Knotts in action, and from that aspect the film delivers in a big way. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is good, clean lighthearted fun that's sure to entertain the entire family.
Frank Wilkins
Screen formats: Widescreen anamorphic, 2.35:1
Subtitles: Spanish, French; Closed captioned
Language and Sound: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; original trailer.
- Scenes - Scene access with 18 cues
- Bonus Materials -
- Recommendations - If you enjoyed The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, we recommend:
- Theatrical trailer - Complete with the following horror graphics "It's spooky. It's Eerie. You'll be so scared, you'll laugh yourself silly."
- Languages -
| Don Knotts......... |
Luther Heggs |
| Joan Staley.......... |
Alma Parker |
| Liam Redmond.......... |
Kelsey |
| Dick Sargent.......... |
George Beckett |
| Skip Homeier.......... |
Ollie Weaver |
| Reta Shaw.......... |
Mrs. Halcyon Maxwell |
| Lurene Tuttle.......... |
Mrs. Natalie Miller |
| Philip Ober....... |
Nicholas Simmons |
| Harry Hickox.......... |
Police Chief Art Fuller |
| Charles Lane.......... |
Whitlow |
| Jesslyn Fax......... |
Mrs. Hutchinson |
| Nydia Westman.......... |
Mrs. Cobb |
| George Chandler....... |
Judge Harley Nast |
| Robert Cornthwaite........ |
Springer |
| Jim Begg....... |
Herkie |
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The title sequence
